Night shift care job

[Lordhavemercy]

So just took a care job on the side (night shifts 3 X a week) this is my 1st week and I want to give it up because I am really struggling with the night shifts. The hygiene personal care is not nice but I knew this & I was prepared & had hardened my self for that. But I am able to stay awake & function still around 4pm & the boom it's SD if my body can't take it if any further as I start to feel extremely sleepy. The ankles are suffering as well is as if they are on fire 🔥 🤦🏽‍♀️🙄i wanna give now but I have never given up on anything before & I think it will look like I'm lazy. Worse is I struggle to sleep when I get home from a night shift. I am only able to sleep for 3 hours & I'm awake & then can't sleep at all & then go start a another shift 🤦🏽‍♀️🙄😭😭

Why are you staying awake until 4pm? I used to work nightshifts in care and my joints would hurt if I didn't sleep the next day.

Have a 2-3 hour nap when you get home then you will still be able to sleep on the night but won't feel so rough all day. Unless you have two shifts in a row. When I had more than one shift I'd sleep 6-8 hours during the day, the same as I would on a night.

But I am able to stay awake & function still around 4am at the care home & the boom it's like my body can't take it if any further as I start to feel extremely sleepy at work.

You need to sleep during the day. I would try to stay up late the night before a nightshift so I could have a sleep in or I would get up early and go for a nap at around 4/5ish before starting work.

Your body does get used to nightshifts but it takes a week or two. In the meantime paracetmol and caffiene are your friends.

If you hate it that muich start looking for something else but I'd hang on in there until you.

I've been doing nights for 4 yrs, sleep during the day between shifts are still hard. Everyone I work with always hit a wall about 3-4 am. I get up and find something to do when feel tired.

I have another night tonight and have had about 5 hours broken sleep.

Do you have a break can you have a nap on it? Find a job to do at 4am that will keep you awake also spread you good out it could be that your blood sugars may be dropping

I do nights regularly. Black out curtains, ear plugs and eye mask. I go to bed at a normal time before i start and try and lie in until 11ish then go back to sleep 3-6 before I start.

I also dont drink coffee after 3am, try and keep busy around the 4-6am period, do some cleaning or something. Fresh air for 10 mins. I think you will get used to it

4am is the worst time. Plan something in to stay busy around then so you're distracted. Stay hydrated during the shift.

Get some good blackout curtains, only eat a light meal when you get home and try and plan a little "wind down" time in. Going for a relaxing bath at 8.30am can feel weird but you need to convince your mind its sleep time. Maybe try white noise if you aren't somewhere quiet. If you can't sleep, lying quietly with your eyes closed is nearly as good and lets you rest.

Nights are rubbish for your body but you do get used to them after a while.

Do you have any downtime when you get in from night shift? If you worked 9-5 you wouldn't go straight to bed til at least 9pm if not later, so you need to have time after work to eat well, watch some TV or read, go for a walk etc.

If you leave the house at 6pm, for work (for example], then you should aim to wake up at 5pm. Then be going to sleep 8 hours before that.

Thanks all, it's almost time to leave home bow for the high shift and I have only had 3 hours sleep since I got home this morning but in bed now for 1 hour but can't sleep.🙄 I think pro plus will he my only saviour tonight. I quick stop at Tesco express for the pill. I haven't even used it in like 20years and I dont if it will for me or🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

Get some high energy snacks while you're at Tesco OP. Bananas or flapjacks or ryvita and drink plenty of water.

Welcome to shifts. I did nightshift for 20 years and recently stopped and it’s been life changing.

I used to find 4-6am the worst part of the night, your biorhythms are at their lowest and you’re trying to fight evolution by being awake at that time. There are no easy answers unfortunately-that’s why I came off them

Is there a way to schedule certain tasks for certain times of the night? Put your most active jobs in the 3am to 5am slot to keep you moving.